


Amell

by Hero_of_Denerim



Series: Welcome to Warden Academy [4]
Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Magic, Gen, Human Mage Origin, Light Angst, Mage Origin, Modern AU, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-10
Updated: 2016-12-10
Packaged: 2018-09-07 15:17:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8805919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hero_of_Denerim/pseuds/Hero_of_Denerim
Summary: A reinterpretation of the Human Mage Origin.Passing her Harrowing with highest honours at the Circle, Amell is determined to use her own knowledge to help others. But when her best friend needs her help, she puts her future at risk.





	

Solona twirled the teabag around before she lowered it into her large mug filled with hot water. It spun lazily into the other direction, spreading its aromas in sepia coloured streams through the water. She watched it, just for a moment, or two. Preparing a new cup of tea always had something calming, she found, almost as much as drinking it. So, she sat there, and watched the dried bits of spindleweed and elfroot tint the previously clear water.

“Are you done yet?”

She glared at Anders, who sat across the table. He only winked at her. “What? As long as you don’t find the answers to all the Harrowing questions in the tea grinds, I propose we start studying?”

“Fine,” she sighed; her tea needed a couple of minutes to set anyway. Then she pulled out her heavy binder out of her bag and gingerly put it onto the table. Her pouch with markers and her pencil case followed shortly after. Lastly, she reached for her bullet journal, but found that the table was already full enough with her study materials; Anders’ side of the table was noticeably empty. From the way he swallowed, he had realised the same.

“Uhm… I brought… this,” he said as he half-heartedly threw a visibly used notepad on the table top in front of him. He rummaged through his pockets, and stopped with a cheeky smirk. “Oh, and a pen. I’m prepared!”

His grin was contagious, and Solona couldn’t help but giggle a bit. Revising with Anders had always been fun, even if they had never met their daily study goals. Still smiling, she opened her binder and browsed the subjects. “Where should we start today? Anatomy, genetics, herbalism?”

He only shrugged. “I don’t know. The last one?”

Solona took out the green folder and gently pushed her binder to the side, so she had more space. With a quick glance at the table of contents she had hefted at the beginning of each section, she was relieved to find that this chapter was the shortest one. They should be able to revise it fairly quickly.

She skipped over her neatly copied and colour coded notes and stopped at the mock exam they had received in the last lecture. By now, she had worked through these questions so often, she almost knew them by heart. If these kind of questions were to appear in the Harrowing, she would be prepared. After glancing at the sheet of paper one more time, Solona looked up into Anders’ expecting eyes. “Name and describe three herbs, their typical locations and their respective properties.”

“Elfroot, flat green leaves, grows everywhere like weed,” Anders drawled in a spot-on impersonation of their teacher that made her smile, “and it is incorporated in pretty much every kind of medicine designed to soothe pain, fever, and the like. Then there is Crystal Grace, with its bell-shaped, pale blue flowers; you can find it in more rural regions, and it is used to speed up tissue repair, and…” He paused, and pursed his lips in thought. “Arbor Blessing, greenish-brown vines, hanging mostly around Orlesian ruins or forests, and are ingredients in most enhancing substances.”

When she nodded, he laughed triumphantly. “I’m nailing this exam! My turn!” He grabbed the folder and skimmed through the questions.

While he pondered over which question to ask, she took a sip from her tea, and looked around. The library was filled with students, more or less desperately cramming the subjects. The few older researchers who strayed into the hall retreated almost immediately. Though it wasn’t particularly loud, most books were in use, and free spaces were rare. She mentally thanked herself for her foresight to book one of the small study rooms for the last days before the exams. It was only a small glass cubicle, but it was preferable to sitting somewhere in the middle of the chaos, or worse, staying in the sleeping halls to study when there were no free seats available.

With the increased amount of students, there were also more guards posted in here than usual. To their own safety, they were promised, and to keep order. Solona scanned their faces, even though she told herself she didn’t look for someone in particular. Still, when she didn’t find the one she was obviously not looking for, she tried to tune out the feeling of disappointment.

“Found one,” Anders announced way to cheerful for someone preparing for their finals, but it served for her to return her attention. “List the five steps on how to prepare a dose of Felandaris extract.”

“Hmm,” she hummed, tapping her pen repeatedly against her chin. “Firstly, wash the plant, chop it, then cook it; then filter through a fine sieve, and-“ she halted, and watched a pair of templars pass by. One of them was a redhead, and the other was blond; both strode through the aisles in the library, their expression surprisingly stern considering they couldn’t be much older than she herself was. The blond guard met her gaze, only for a split second before he averted his eyes, and…

Did he just smile at her? Was he blushing? Her own cheeks were heated, and she was convinced her face was turning crimson. There was no way this had just happened; she was seeing things

“And?” Anders prompted, and she realised she had stared longer than she would’ve liked; he turned around to see what had distracted her, and when he saw the guards making their rounds, he laughed, and winked at her.

Solona let her head fall down onto the table and buried it under her arms; she groaned inwardly. This was humiliating, Anders would never let her live it down!

And then, he whistled. Her head shot up, just in time to see the blond templar wince visibly, before he hastily walked out of sight. The other one glared at them, and other students who had started to giggle at the display, before he followed suit.

“Anders,” she hissed, mortified.

“What? That guy is your secret crush you’ve been mooning over the last couple of weeks? I should be the one offended, really.”

She hid her face behind her hands. With the heat she felt, she had to be glowing bright red by now. “What are you talking about,” she asked through gritted teeth. As she peeked through her fingers, she saw his satisfied smirk, and she only wanted to wipe it from his face. “I don’t even want to know. Forget I even asked.”

“I just didn’t know you were into the awkward type. I heard he has yet to speak a complete sentence without stumbling over the words. Poor guy.”

There was so much she wanted to say, so much she wanted to throw at him. That he had a name, even though she herself wouldn’t use it, not even in her thoughts; that he seemed to be kinder than most of the other students, who either ignored or looked down on her; that she liked the idea of someone liking her, even if there was no chance that anything would come of it; that not everyone could be so lucky to meet their significant other in a biology lab.

But she said nothing, only growled in response, and he pressed on. “Now, I can see why, don’t get me wrong, there certainly is some kind of appeal to him. But, don’t you think that he might be stumbling around in other- Hey!”

An eraser launched right at his wagging brow; and Solona already had picked up another piece from her pencil case. Another reason to have lots of stationery, even though it wasn’t the most mature one.

“I yield, Sol, I yield!” He raised his hands in mocked defence. “All I’m saying is, that he should loosen up a little. Might lose the stick up his arse, too. You should thank me, really. Now, if you’re finished swooning over Prettyboy here, you could finally answer the question.”

With a glare rivalling the one of their chronically annoyed Anatomy teacher, she snatched her folder from his hands. “I think I’ll tell Karl about your behaviour,” she said overly thoughtful, and grinned as he paled slightly. “Or, we call it a truce and I’ll ask the rest of the questions now.”

He chuckled, knowing when he was beaten. “Okay, okay. You got me. I play nice. Hit me with the next one.”

“Let’s see… Describe the regional variations of elfroot phenotypes.”

***

The time for the Harrowing came more quickly than she had anticipated. Although she was as prepared as she could be, Solona was getting anxious. Her palms were so sweaty she struggled to grip her favourite pen; her stomach had rebelled against the idea of eating alone; and she had barely slept.

Still, she had sat down at the small table which displayed her student ID, and since she was more than half an hour early, she watched the other students trickle in. By now, she had already reorganised her pens four times, and she cursed herself silently for not even trying to kill some time beforehand, as she began to rearrange them for the fifth time. She hadn’t sorted them after cap colours yet, had she?

Anders was nowhere to be seen. Most likely he was having breakfast, or still asleep. Or maybe, he decided it was time again for him to run away from here. Either way, he wasn’t here and couldn’t calm her nerves with his stupid jokes.

She tried to concentrate on her pens. Should she begin with blue or purple? Not that she was seriously considering either; there needed to be graver circumstances for her not to choose green first. But it distracted her all the same, even if it was only for a little while, and she would be content with that.

While she inwardly debated whether to continue with blue or yellow, the bell rang, the sign for the remaining students to take their seats. Solona forced herself to not crane her head around so she could look for Anders. He would be alright. He somehow always was.

She blinked in surprise as dean Irving himself entered the hall to guide them through the process. This time, she couldn’t help but glance to her sides; no-one else seemed even mildly surprised, but then again, she hardly recognised anyone. They might be simply better at hiding it.

“G-good luck!”

Solona looked up to stare right into Cullen’S face, who handed her a stack of papers. She accepted them gingerly. Her attempt at a smile had turned into a grimace, though, so she quickly stopped, before she made an even bigger fool out of herself. “Thank you,” she mouthed instead.

He gave her a small nod, and quickly walked to the student next to her, with his gaze now fixed at the box filled with the exam sheets which he shouldered with one arm.

Did his ears turn pink?

She forcefully squeezed her eyes shut, mentally chiding herself. There were more important things she needed to focus on!

While the sheets were handed to the students, Irving stood at the head of the room and asked the last set of mandatory questions. “Are you feeling well enough to take this exam?” No! She really wasn’t! “Have you counted the pages you received?” She flipped through the paper stack; questionnaire, answer sheet, blank pages for calculations, everything sloppily hefted together, but everything was there. “Do you have any other questions?” Oh, where should she start?

But nobody raised their hand to ask, and neither did she. And when Irving smiled, and said, “You may start now,” she opened the questionnaire.

The first set of questions was easy enough; Solona all but breezed through the definitions and lists, marking the answers in the designated boxes. She had hoped she didn’t have to struggle through the beginning. Being left frustrated by the initial couple of questions, so that she would be blockheaded for the entirety of the exam had been her strongest fear.

The second set was finished off fairly quickly as well; even though the questions were more complex, the answers were not.

She turned page after page, hardly using the provided scratch paper. When she had completed the first half, confidence spread through her, forming her lips into a smirk. She might actually have got this! Only occasionally her workflow was interrupted, when other students got up and trotted to the front with slumped shoulders.

The sixth part was by far the trickiest, she found. Longwinded questions she had to read three times before she could even think of a way to solve them, but even those weren’t overly challenging, as soon as she got to the essence of it.

The next set felt like a pat on the back with its simply structured questions, and then…

She turned the page and stared at the wooden table. Was she finished? A brief glance at the clock told her that she had still half of the scheduled time left. This couldn’t be. A sudden feeling of dread made her hands tremble. What if she had skipped something, missed the most difficult section?

With shaking hands, she flipped through her papers again, but the backsides were still blank, and the answer sheet still didn’t show rows of empty boxes she had left unmarked. She checked everything again.

Not completely convinced that she hadn’t missed a page, she raised her hand. She would find out now, one way or the other.

A templar made their way over to her. Cullen. Of course it had to be Cullen! She bit her tongue and waited as patiently as she possibly could for him to approach her.

“Y-yes?” His voice was tinged with worry; if she herself hadn’t been so nervous, she might have felt giddy at what that might mean. But right now, all she felt was anxiety.

“I finished my exam,” she instead replied, struggling to keep her voice neutral.

“You d-did?”

A tiny part of her wanted him to acknowledge her feat, maybe even to admire her. And his expression did shift; though she felt like just slapped her in the face when she realised it was pity.

Solona got up, squaring her shoulders. She would not look defeated like the others, her pride wouldn’t let her. So she made her way to the head of the room, to the dean’s desk, where Irving was already watching her. It felt much longer than it should have been; that Cullen walked mere feet behind her wasn’t helping to calm her down, neither did the feeling of all the others watching her walk.

Eventually, she reached Irving; a patient smile played at his lips, and with his hands clasped together over the table, he looked up to her, though in a way that made her feel small nonetheless.

“You are finished, I take it?”

Solona only managed a small nod; her throat suddenly felt overly dry.

“Very well. Would you give me everything you have used?”

With another nod, she handed him her bundle of papers, and stepped back. She watched him inspect the sheets, and then take out the piece with her answers for evaluation. He carefully sent it through a small scanner, and looked at the computer screen next to him; all the time she was overly aware how Cullen hovered right next to her, ready to intervene if she were to try anything. As Irving’s brow arched up ever so slightly, a lump formed in her throat.

“Congratulations, Miss Amell. You passed with a perfect score. You may now gather your things and leave the examination room.”

For a second, she only stood there, blinking owlishly. Surely, she had misheard him, this couldn’t be possible. But Irving didn’t add anything to correct himself, and turned his attention to the room of students still trying to find solutions to their own exams.

Solona only began to move when she felt a hand gently touching the small of her back. She let Cullen guide her back to her seat, where she stuffed her pens into her bag. As she threw her bag over her shoulder, her gaze wandered across the room for the first time.

Anders was looking at her, having it made to the test after all; he had been seated a few rows behind her own, and gave her a small thumbs up before he turned his attention back to his own test.

She left the room, nodding towards Irving on her way out. Closing the door behind her, she caught a glimpse of Cullen, who unabashedly stared at her. This time, she was convinced to see admiration in his gaze.

Outside in the corridor, she sat down on one of the benches lining the wall. Realisation replaced the numbness inside her. She had made it! Now she would wait for Anders to finish as well.

***

“You found what?”

“Not what, whom. Don’t be rude, Sol.”

“You found a stray cat, here, in the Circle?”

“That’s pretty much the short version, yes. Mr Wiggums was hungry, I fed him, and he had followed me ever since.”

Fluffy ears poked out of his backpack, muffled mewls came from the opening, and every now and then, the fabric bulged out. Solona watched amusedly how the cat tried to work his way out of the bag.

Anders absentmindedly scratched Mr Wiggums’ chin, coaxing satisfied, low purrs from him. “I couldn’t just leave him, like the others did. Just look at him! Isn’t he adorable?” Two large, dark brown eyes watched her warily, as the cat cocked his head to beckon Anders to continue. Naturally, he obliged.

She couldn’t fault him, really. Gingerly, she slowly reached out her own hand, so Mr Wiggums had plenty of time to react, but he only watched, and when she began to scratch his ears, he closed his eyes, still purring.

“Just be careful. I don’t want to know what might happen if someone else finds out about him.”

“Neither do I,” he replied. He gently lifted his backpack, and Mr Wiggums retracted his head immediately as if that was some part of a long practised routine. “Shall we?”

After their Harrowing, both had moved what little belongings they had to their newly assigned apartments. Anders had managed to bribe the administration so he could move into the flat next to Karl’s; she knew he would spend more time with his boyfriend, now that they didn’t have to follow the rigid class schedules anymore.

And really, could she blame him? She had seen the longing glances Anders threw after him whenever they parted for the mandatory classes, and even though she would miss hanging out with him as much as they used to, she was glad he had someone like Karl in his life. He was calmer, happier, and more balanced than he used to be. Life was lonely enough for many here, so she understood why he wanted to treasure every little piece of happiness he could find.

Both made their way to the elevators; they had had one day off to familiarise themselves with their new situations, but now, dean Irving had summoned them to his office. Probably to talk about their final theses; she knew of others who had started to write theirs even before the Harrowing, but she hadn’t want to divide her focus back then.

Irving’s office was located on the floor above their own, with only the barracks and the exam hall above it. Solona hadn’t been here before, not once during all the years she had been staying in the Circle. Others, like Anders, had been called there more often. But while she could needle him why he had missed class this time, she only knew rumours about others; and even the gossip the students so freely told didn’t tell anything about those who simply disappeared one day.

Some students never grew tired of telling their scary tales, that underneath the institution there were many cells inhabited by those who broke the rules one time too many. And had she never thought about what happened to those who failed their Harrowing?

Now, she didn’t personally know anyone who could either confirm or deny those stories, but that wouldn’t quell the rumours; the crueller templars didn’t help much.

A melodic ding announced their arrival on the office floor, and her attention snapped back to the present. Brooding over some gossip wouldn’t get her anywhere, especially if it were mere cautionary tales to scare children to behave correctly. Instead, she concentrated on her steps, mimicking Anders’ pace if not his springing stride, and side by side they walked to the dean’s office. Once there, Anders rapped at the door.

“Please, come in.” Irving’s voice came through muffled, but still clearly understandable.

“You first,” Solona said, and held out her hand. With a tight-lipped smile, he handed her his bag; for the first time since she knew him, he seemed nervous. He took a deep breath, before he opened the door and vanished inside.

Now all she could do was wait. She slung back the lid of the backpack, and loosened the cord a little. Almost immediately she was rewarded with faint meows, followed by some movement inside the bag. Not after long, Mr Wiggums’ head poked out of the opening, his large eyes taking in the change of the scene.

Carefully, as to not upset him, she raised her hand over his head. Since he didn’t seem to particularly mind her, she began to scratch his chin, enticing a purr.

She didn’t keep track of time while she sat outside Irving’s office, petting Mr Wiggums. Eventually, the door opened again and Anders came out, his tension replaced with relief.

“Your turn now,” he said as he gently lifted his bag from her lap.

She nodded. Now that she had to go into the office, a lump began to form in her throat. What was she nervous about? She had flawlessly passed her Harrowing, and would only discuss her final thesis. Nothing of this warranted the sudden bout of unease.

Dean Irving’s office was both more and less than she had imagined. There was less décor in here than she would’ve deemed appropriate for his standing; the room was sparsely furnished with a sturdy desk at the opposite side from where she entered, some uncomfortable looking chairs grouped around it, and ceiling-high shelves lining the walls. As the other rooms she knew, there were no windows.

However, it instilled more awe in her than the lushest furniture ever could. The room had its very own, subtle presence, seemingly dwarfing her and her issues. It made her feel… insignificant.

Irving sat behind his desk, smiling amiably at her. “Have a seat,” he said as he motioned towards the chair opposite to him.

She obeyed, and sat down at the edge of the chair, hands wrought together in her lap. Uncertain on how she should begin she decided to stay silent at first.

Irving, all serene and patient, smiled warmly at her. “Again, let me congratulate you on your outstanding exam. It has been a while since we have hosted such a bright mind in our facilities.” He nodded to himself, as if he mentally checked off points he wanted to say. “Now, for you to fully graduate and contribute as a researcher, you must hand in your thesis. I understand correctly, that you are still in need of a topic?”

He glanced over the rim of his glasses and continued, “I have selected a few themes I trust you to handle. Except you, too, wish to explore cross-subject studies?”

Though his tone stayed neutral, his arched brow betrayed his indifference. Solona swallowed forcefully. What had Anders demanded while he was in here? “I- no, I don’t.”

“Very well. I assume you will find one of these suitable, then. Please,” he gestured towards the stack of paper invitingly, “feel free to pick the one you feel most curious about.”

She gingerly skimmed through the pages. Indeed, she felt herself drawn towards many suggestions; most revolved around herbs and how their different properties could be facilitated during the healing process; others asked for more detailed research of chronic illnesses, or promised insight into genetic enhancements.

Solona wasn’t too keen on confirming older studies about herbs; there plainly wasn’t anything groundbreaking to discover. Neither was she overly interested in manipulating genes, which might be because she had too little knowledge about even the basics. But finding a treatment for something deemed incurable…

One proposal asked to examine ailments combating long-term effects of drugs. That was interesting, though her motivation was too selfish to follow it through with passion. Lyrium was a badly kept secret, and she had learnt enough about it in her introductory classes that she understood a substance like that had to serious consequences. It wasn’t discussed, certainly not openly with students anyway, but Solona hadn’t seen a templar older than forty among the guards here.

But even though she was almost desperate to talk to Cullen, to get to know him, this wasn’t what she wanted to talk about first. She shook her head firmly, trying to ban the thought from her head. No, that would be a task for someone else.

Radiation poisoning, on the other hand… There had been four fallouts so far, always joined by war and destruction and so much death. If she found something to help the people who survived through the aftermath, or something that could revitalise the blighted wastelands where they took place, she might be able to better thousands of lives, and even more in the years to come.

Decision made, she tugged that page from the stack. “This one.”

Irving glanced over the sheet. “Ah. Very well. Everything you need on that topic can be found in our library, or can be ordered if not. Do you have additional questions about your essay?”

She shook her head, and got up. The page was still grasped firmly in her hand.

“I wish you the best of luck. If you need help, you know where to find me.” Irving smiled at her one last time, before he directed his attention towards his desk. He didn’t look up when she exited his office.

The hallway outside was empty. Solona bit back the bitter taste of disappointment. Anders had probably run out of treats for Mr Wiggums, or he went to see Karl. She would seek him out tomorrow. For now, she would check out the books suggested on the sheet. She might even get started on her essay tonight.

The elevator opened before she quite reached it. A man stepped out, his black hair styled into a ponytail, his beard meticulously groomed. His skin was darker than anyone’s she knew in the Circle, but she didn’t know that many people. And what did she know about those who didn’t work and live in the facilities? She found it harder to recall her parents’ faces with each day that passed, and there was so much about the world outside she simply didn’t know.

The man looked at her, almost kindly, and reached back into the cabin to keep the door from closing. She hurried past him, mumbling, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” His voice was melodic, and very pleasant to listen to, and his smile was warm and wide and honest; she couldn’t help but smile back as the elevator doors closed between them.

***

Loud thumping against her door woke her up. “Maker forsaken-“ she cursed under her breath, jumping out of her bed. One hand grabbed a jacket she threw over her sleep shirt, and the other ran through her hair to smooth out the last traces of sleep, before she opened the door.

“Anders!”

He stood in the doorway, hunched over as if in severe pain. Solona waited for one of his quips, a sign of humour, that betrayed his posture. But without so much as a glance towards her, he shoved through the entrance and audibly flopped down on her bed.

Worries crept into her thoughts. In all the years she had known him, he had never been like this. Angry, yes; annoyed, half of the time she knew him, if she was honest; but helpless, or defeated?

She poked her head through the door. The hallway was empty, and quiet. No-one who could tell on them, whatever it was. Because something must have happened for him to be like this. Though she dreaded to learn what exactly had broken him like this, she closed the door and steeled herself. She had to know.

He was the epitome of sadness, from the way he was huddled on her bed to the mess on his head, when he usually took extra care to groom his hair. Her heart ached for him. As he lifted his head, his eyes were dry, but bloodshot, and he gazed blindly onto the floor. He looked even paler than usual, and sitting with hunched shoulders made it hard to believe that he otherwise towered over her a couple of inches.

“What happened?” she eventually choked out. Her worry turned into panic, and she began pacing through her room. She couldn’t keep her feet still.

Ever so slowly, he lifted his gaze to meet hers. The sadness in them threatened to drown her, but even though she felt tears welling up in her own eyes, she couldn’t look away. Not now.

“He will be transferred,” he whispered. She heard the disbelief that laced his words, and anger; but mostly, he sounded pained. There was no need for to ask whom he meant.

“But why?” she whispered back, suddenly afraid that responding more loudly might shatter him. He looked so fragile…

“I don’t know! He said something of overstuffed facility… But this can’t be true. He’ll be sent to Kirkwall tomorrow. To Kirkwall of all places!”

She stopped so abruptly in her step she stumbled. Kirkwall was infamous for its harsh atmosphere. Some rumours had it that it went downhill after the city sold it to the security firm, while others claimed its staff had been more than abusive towards their charges since its founding. Either way, it was no place she wished for anyone to end up. Especially no friend.

“And we can’t do anything?”

“Not for him. Believe me, I’ve looked everywhere!” He jumped from her bed and grabbed her hands. His eyes were more lively again, filled with his usual fire. Something was off, though. It wasn’t joy sparking his renewed energy; he rather seemed sick, feverish, as only the truly desperates were. “But we can! If we tell the world about this, they can’t ignore us any longer-“

“How, Anders?” she interrupted him. “We can’t just simply walk out of here and talk to the news!” Solona felt cruel to crush his dreams like this, but she was too selfish to keep her friend with her to try and find another way.

He shrugged of her objection, and she doubted he had even listened to her. His lips twisted into a grin, usually a sign of some mischief he was beginning to plan; now, it only scared her. He quickly hugged her, pressing her flush against him. “We will leave, tonight.  take care of everything, and I will meet you here once I’ve finished preparing,” he breathed into her ear before he released her. With a wink, he tore open the door and disappeared into the hallway.

She stood in the middle of the room, left behind, trying to process their conversation. He had seemed more like himself at the end, which relieved her. But this wasn’t one of his pranks anymore. If – no, when – they were caught, everything she had worked for would be voided. Now that she finally could help someone…

Doubt grew in her thoughts like weed, and spread its poisonous roots through her mind. Slowly, she walked towards the still opened door. Her hand lingered hesitantly on the handle as she stood inside the frame.

If she were to tell Irving, now, before Anders had the chance to get himself into too much trouble, maybe the dean would be kind and forgiving. Maybe, he would let them go with minor penalty exercises. He was a kind man, she knew, she hoped she knew. Irving wouldn’t punish them harshly, if she would tell him of Anders’ intention, and they could simply forget that ever happened. Even though she knew her friendship with Anders would be over, surely he would be better off this way.

Solona forced out a disgruntled breath, as she flung the door shut behind her, and hurled herself onto her bed. Even the thought of betraying her best friend, her only friend, was enough for guilt to consume her. She pulled a pillow over her head to muffle her own worries.

If they were caught tonight, she would go down with him.

***

Solona had tried her best to distract herself over the day. But neither her books nor her essay could keep her focused for long. Instead, her thoughts kept wandering back to the evening, though the initial fear she had felt faded more into the background, and excitement took over. Since as long as she could remember, she had been the good girl, the reliable girl, the studious girl. She had never rebelled, only accepted the circumstances and tried to make the most of it.

But so had Karl. And now he was being sent away to Kirkwall.

Thrice she had pondered to seek out Irving, each time a little longer, and thrice she had decided against it. There was always an excuse not to go. So she waited.

Eventually, after she had tried to browse her books again only to close them quickly afterwards, glancing over the pages without seeing the words, she heard another series of short raps at her door.

She jumped up immediately and rushed towards it, but then hesitated briefly, with her hand hovering over the handle. With a forced, deep breath and an inner assertion that she was ready for this, she opened the door.

As she had expected, Anders stood outside, hand lifted to knock again; if she hadn’t seen his breakdown this morning for herself, she wouldn’t have found a sign of it now. His wry smile back on his face, he just looked as he usually did.

“Quick, come with me,” he hissed, and grabbed her arm. He didn’t offer any more information, and ignored her questioning glances, but yanked her out of her room and towards the elevators. Too impatient to wait for the lift he had called, he walked in a brisk case up the staircase.

It took her a while until she realised where he was heading.

“Anders,” she began haltingly. They couldn’t simply march onto the templar floor, could they? Sure, it wasn’t exactly off-limits, but there was nothing for them here, either. And if someone saw them, and she desperately tried not to think of anyone special who could see them here, their presence would raise questions. Questions she couldn’t answer.

He didn’t respond, leading them confidently through the hallway. Solona sent a quick prayer to the Maker, that they wouldn’t encounter one of the guards. And somehow, He listened. The hallway was deserted.

Most likely, because it was time for supper, it slowly dawned on her, and most of the guards were in the dining hall. If they didn’t have sentry duty.

Suddenly, Anders stopped, and pulled her towards one of the many, uniform doors. He didn’t bother to check for someone approaching, as he fished something out of his pocket. When he had found what he was looking for, he knelt down.

“We’re breaking into a guard’s room?” Her voice was shriller than she would have liked, but right now, she could either control her voice, or suppress every instinct telling her to run. And she had chosen the latter. “Why do you know how to pick a lock?”

“It’s alright, Sol, no-one is here to notice us, anyway. And how do you think did I start my escapes the last couple of times?” The lock clicked, and he whistled in response. “See? Piece of cake.”

He pushed open the door, and they walked inside. As he switched on the lights, she understood why he came here of all places. It was a locker room, with rows and rows of shelves and lock boxes covered the walls, and took up most of the space inside. On the shelves, she spotted spare templar uniforms, neatly folded and stacked.

“Here, this one should fit you.”

Reluctantly, she accepted the bundled clothes Anders waved towards her, and ducked behind another row of storage units to change. The uniform did indeed fit; while it was heavier than her usual attire, they weren’t overly uncomfortable. It made her wonder once again, what the templars were here for. Why did the need to wear this kind of uniform?

She strongly hoped they only tried to intimidate them, so they wouldn’t try something stupid. Like leaving the facilities.

Solona walked back with a small laugh. Everything was so absurd. It could not possibly be real.

Anders had also changed and was now pulling up his hair into a bun. He looked up, nodding approvingly as he fixed his hair. Then he snatched something from the shelf behind him.

“Here. Not that anyone would recognise our faces, but these can’t hurt.” He handed her a pair of glasses. “Put them on, and we’re ready to go. Just remember: We are absolutely allowed to exit the facilities, and therefore there is no reason for us to be nervous.”

Though she wasn’t nearly as convinced of this as he was, she swallowed her objections, put on the glasses, and walked after him. She could not mimic his self-assured stride completely, but it would do, or so she hoped.

They walked down the hallway, and reached the elevator just as some of the guards returned from their dinner hall through a side door. Both of them nodded towards the group, as they had seen them do countless of times; in the kind of manner that acknowledged their presence, but didn’t give the opportunity to approach them. The templars didn’t seem to mind, and walked their way. Only when they turned around in the elevator behind closing doors, Solona swore she recognised one of them. And that his eyes widened as he met her gaze. All the way down, she fought the panic slowly rising inside of her. Cullen wouldn’t tell on her. He wouldn’t.

Anders strode through the hall as casually as he did before; either he hadn’t noticed it, or he didn’t care. With freedom so close to them, he was determined to finally succeed in escaping. His confidence calmed her, albeit slightly. It would serve until they made it outside.

All that stood between them and the world outside were a few steps. Slowly, she became excited. Solona had lived in the Circle for too long to remember much of this world, and she had never felt the urge to see what lay beyond the walls. Not before now, anyway.

“Halt!”

A stern voice from behind them stopped them in their tracks. She saw Anders’ shoulders slump a bit, but they turned around. Panic sunk its claws into her again; but this time with a certainty that made her stomach lurch.

“We haven’t scheduled outside patrols tonight, why do you two think- oh, it’s you again? Maker’s balls, do you never learn?”

The templar who had spoken shook his head, exasperated. Only then he gestured towards them. “Take them upstairs. Make sure to tell both the dean and the commander of this,” he said over his shoulder to the group of guards behind him.

“Every damn time, this idiot,” she heard him mutter as he entered the elevator. The remaining guards grouped around them, to escort them to dean Irving’s office. At least Cullen was not among them, she noticed. But how could he rat her out like this?

***

Solona kept her gaze fixed on the floor, all the way as they were lead to Irving’s study. Even then, she refused to look up. She also hadn’t uttered a single word; what was there left to say?

Right from the start, she had known this had been a bad idea. And still, she hadn’t refused to join Anders in this, not even tried to talk him out of it. And now, she would face her punishment. All she could hope now was that Irving would be lenient with her.

Only when the doors behind them opened, she looked up. Irving walked around the desk, to take a seat on his chair. After him, another man had entered, and he had positioned himself behind Irving. With his arms crossed decisively over his chest, and his face stern, he glared down at them with thinly veiled annoyance. And he wore a guard uniform. If she would look to anyone for mercy, it wouldn’t be him.

“Care to explain yourselves,” he said coldly. Solona sank further into her chair. If there was a Maker, and He was truly merciful, He would take her out of her misery instantly, and she would be grateful for it.

“We wanted to leave the facilities,” Anders answered, seemingly unfazed. Maybe, he was. He had sat in this very chair a couple of times now, and maybe that made him bold.

“I got to this conclusion myself.” The templar narrowed his eyes, and Solona sent a prayer to the Maker to finally take her to his side. The sooner, the better.

Irving cleared his throat, interrupting the other man. “Anders, you should know by now that while we encourage your enthusiasm, we would welcome it if you were trying to guide it into more… fruitful paths. If you were only half as inventive in your work as you are with your other activities, you would prove everyone how brilliant you truly are.

“However, as this is your fifth transgression of the Circle’s rules, I fear we have to take a different approach on your punishment. Maybe it will help you to see the error in your ways, if you have the time, and the solitude, to think about them. Greagoir already has guards prepare your new… accommodation.”

Even though Irving had spoken calmly and collected, Anders paled. For the first time she knew him, he seemed to be truly afraid.

“No- no! Dean, you can’t do this! I promise this was the last time-“ He stopped himself, as Irving didn’t react to his plea. Greagoir waved at someone behind them, and shortly afterwards, Anders was pulled up from his seat and out of her view.

She knew she should have said something, anything; that he was upset about Karl, that he didn’t mean any harm, that he would change now… But she didn’t bring out a single word. Because all this time, when they were focused on him, she hoped that she would get out of this. Now, after he had been brought away, she was alone. And now she wished she had spoken out for Anders while he had still sat next to her.

“And now to you. Trying to leave the ground without permission, with stolen gear no less… The other one had been a lost cause, and I’m glad you finally saw that, too, Irving, but we mustn’t be lenient towards her, either. Nothing can excuse this kind of behaviour.” Greagoir’s steely gaze lay upon her, and she tried her best not to squirm in her seat. However, something behind her caught his attention.

“What is he doing here?”

“I had called him up here,” Irving answered, just as calmly as before. Did she see the hint of a smile, though? “It is my duty to report our brightest minds to Duncan, and the Warden Academy; you should know that, Greagoir.”

“But why now, Irving?” Greagoir grinded his teeth.

“I have arranged for this meeting yesterday already; and since she was brought up here, too, I did not see a reason to cancel it. Duncan,” Irving called out over her head, “please, old friend, meet Solona Amell, one of our most talented students.”

She didn’t completely understand what exactly was happening. Whatever it might be, it would only delay her punishment; she hoped it would take forever. The thought of those cells underneath the Circle made her want to throw up.

She recognised him; he was the man she met after her appointment with Irving. Had it really only been a day since then?

Duncan bowed slightly, and extended his hand, which she shook hesitantly. “I’m glad to meet you in person, Solona. Irving speaks highly of you.”

His eyes were just as kind as she remembered. How embarrassing would it be for her to beg him to take her away from here? Unable to bring out a word, she nodded instead, hopefully, it looked approvingly.

He seemed to take it as such, as he continued, “Irving was especially pointing out your prowess in the medical field, and that the local equipment could not further your education appropriately.”

She only gaped at him. Her brain needed way too long to take in what he had said.

Greagoir cut in, wither way. “You cannot leave her unpunished for breaking the rules, Irving,” he spat. “If you believe I will allow such an act of leniency, you are mistaken!”

“This is for Duncan and Solona to decide; you know that the Academy decisions overrule ours in special cases. And this, I believe, qualifies as such.”

This time, she was certain Irving looked smug. And now, that she slowly understood where this was going, she felt her spirits lift as well.

“As I was saying,” Duncan continued, “your talent is promising, and with proper guidance and access to the most advanced technology and research in this field, you can expand it. At Warden Academy, we can offer you either.

“Therefore, on behalf of the Academy, I invite you to continue your studies there. If you wish to do so, you will be cleared of all allegations made against you,” he shot a pointed look towards Greagoir, “and you will be able to continue your research as well as work with peers on different projects. What do you say?”

Solona’s thoughts tumbled in her head. The Maker had heard her prayers! That, or she was just incredibly lucky. Either way, she would not pass up this opportunity. She only wished Anders would have been offered something similar, but maybe she could find a way to get him out of here, later. For now, she would focus on herself.

“I’ll gladly accept.”

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo this is the other Mage Origin! What do you think?
> 
> I just love the idea of Anders being friends with the Warden way before Awakening! And I am somewhat convinced that instead of trying to bail out someone else (of ambiguous sympathy), trying to escape together with Anders as the main quest in the origin would have been nice. That would create at least a tiny difference between the Mage Origins ;)
> 
> As usual, if you liked this fic, feel free to leave kudos or kind comments behind!


End file.
